Board left out of decision to evict protest camp

For Coun. Barbara Young, evicting a protest camp set up by Indigenous-rights activists is not a routine affair.

“I think this has a lot of political implications,” the Regina city councillor said. “This is not just a small eviction ... there is a great deal of community interest.”

That’s why Young was “surprised” to read about an eviction notice issued in the name of the Provincial Capital Commission, a body on whose board she sits as the City of Regina’s alternate member. The notice gave the campers a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline to remove their tents and put out their fire across from the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.

But Young said she had nothing to do with the move, which never came before the commission’s board. She wasn’t even informed about it beforehand.

“We were not consulted on this and we are members of the board of the capital commission, so that is disturbing to me,” said Young.

Richard Murray, deputy minister of central services, defended the move on Tuesday by saying the campers could disrupt events at Wascana Centre, especially during Canada Day festivities. On Wednesday, a spokesman for his ministry responded to Young ’s concerns.

“A resolution by the board made the PCC responsible for all administrative decisions such as this one,” read an official statement. “Evictions can happen a few times a year, and have never gone to the Board for approval.

“From PCC’s perspective the eviction notice is not something that would need Board approval or discussion.”

Mayor Michael Fougere agreed with that reading of the commission’s authority.

“Whether they consult with us or not is not material. This is provincial land and they can do as they wish,” said the mayor.

The PCC is an agent of the Crown and is responsible for the Wascana Centre lands. Its board is mostly responsible for governance and financial decisions, according to the ministry. Three provincial government members sit on the board, along with one member from the city and one from the University of Regina — plus several alternates. That means the province can always outvote the others.

Young understands opposition may have proved futile. But she would have appreciated the chance to air her concerns and explore “other avenues” for solving the standoff with protesters, who have been at the camp for about 100 days.

“I think it would have been beneficial to have some knowledge of what was happening, and it might have benefited from some consultation,” she said. “But the opportunity to do that has passed.”

Young said she felt like Regina Police Chief Evan Bray was making progress with the protesters. Camp spokesman Prescott Demas said Bray came with tobacco and sweetgrass to help open a conversation. Young said the government should make a similarly robust effort to “sit in the tent and listen.”

“I think they make a big mistake by not listening,” Young said.

Murray has said attempts were made to arrange a meeting, but they broke down after a dispute over the location. The ministry, he said, considers the camp’s teepee “illegal” and will not meet there.

Young said she doesn’t want to start a “row” with the government over the issue, even though she didn’t initially view such a sensitive eviction as an operational matter. She said she’s now willing to accept the ministry’s characterization of the notice and the commission’s authority — but she wants to distance the city from the move.

“I just am really clear about the fact that the members from the City of Regina had nothing to do with the decision,” she said.

Fougere said he agrees with Young on the need to make that clear.

“I wouldn’t want the general public to think that we were involved in that,” he said.